Fridays are pretty special around the Jolly household. Friday mornings typically start with Lucas jumping out of bed super-excited that it’s Friday. There are usually a few high fives and TGIF’s thrown around! Lucas loves Fridays because he gets to do a lot of art and the school day is much more relaxed. He also knows that mom and dad always bring him a special after school snack on Fridays. Sometimes that might be a Blizzard from Dairy Queen or sometimes it’s a homemade treat. No matter what though – he gets a special treat to celebrate the end of the school week. Friday nights are also family night – whether it’s playing video games or board games or going out to dinner or cuddling up on the couch to watch a movie – Friday nights are all about us.

This past week, we surprised Lucas with a new Friday treat – homemade Baked Doughnuts. This is a wonderful recipe that is easy to follow and results in an airy, light glazed doughnut. Just perfect. We topped a few with lightly crushed Kellogg’s Froot Loops, which was a big hit!

3. Turn dough out on well-floured board. Shape into a ball. (Dough will be very soft to handle.) Roll out lightly to about 1/2 inch of thickness. Be careful not to stretch dough. Cut with floured 3-inch doughnut cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Brush with melted butter and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

4. Bake at 425° F about 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1.5 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

2 Tbsp hot water

(OPTIONAL) 1 cup Kellogg’s Froot Loops, lightly crushed

Directions
1. Using a mixer, beat together cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, salt, and hot water until smooth.

2. Dip tops of warm doughnuts into glaze.

3. Sprinkle with crushed Froot Loops or serve as-is. NOTE: If using Froot Loops, make sure to do this right before serving or else the cereal becomes soggy when stored for a long time.

One of the main things we focus on after school is reading. We encourage Lucas to pick out his own books. Books that really appeal to him. Sometimes those books are chapter books, sometimes he chooses comic books, or sometimes he will even choose Minecraft Tutorial Books. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me as long as he is reading and more importantly – as long as he is developing the love for reading. The love for books. Because that is truly a gift. While he reads, it’s nice to have a crunchy snack that he can nibble on and trail mix is perfect. Lucas’ favorite combination is a little bit salty and a little bit sweet, but the great thing about this is that you can add whatever your child loves. What I personally love about trail mix is that in minutes, I can make a huge batch. Then, I can portion into small zip-top bags and now we have quick snacks that Lucas can grab on the way to baseball practice, while he is reading or doing homework, etc.

Lucas’ Favorite Trail Mix

makes 16-18 servings

Ingredients

4 cups Kellogg’s® Crispix® cereal

2 cups pretzel sticks

1 cup dry roasted lightly salted peanuts

1 cup raisins

1 cup M&Ms

Directions
1. In large bowl toss together all of the ingredients. Store in airtight container.

There are usually 1-2 days during the week which Lucas doesn’t come straight home after school – sometimes it’s because either Mike or I (depends on who picks him up) has to run a few errands or we have an appointment. On those days, I like to send a portable snack that he can munch on in the car. One of our favorite on-the-go snacks are Berry Banana Peanut Butter Bars. OMG, you guys. YUM!!! These are better than any granola bar you can buy at the grocery store. They are loaded with lots of good for you ingredients – oats, almonds, peanut butter, honey, banana chips, dried berries, and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal. If your child has a nut allergy, you can omit the nuts and add more dried fruit and replace the peanut butter with sunbutter.

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it’s nice to have a warm and comforting after school snack for Lucas. This is especially true on baseball practice days. Some warm food in his belly helps get him through practice until dinner. One of his favorites snacks (and one the entire family loves) are Cinnamon Raisin Stuffed Apples – it is the perfect fall treat! The Kellogg’s Mini Wheats, raisins, cinnamon, and apple juice meld with the softened, warm apple to produce what really almost resembles an apple pie or apple crisp. Sometimes we like to serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a bit of vanilla yogurt. The bonus is that while it tastes like dessert – it is actually very low calorie, healthy and nutritious. A+ in my book!

You might remember that over the summer, I headed up to NYC for the Kellogg’s Recharge Bar, which featured elevated cereal and milk breakfast combinations (think lemon zest and thyme in your cereal – read more about it HERE). However, I missed the last night when the Recharge Bar was transformed into a nighttime, living room atmosphere and swapped the more traditional breakfast cereals for some indulgent treats and evening snacking options by the uber talented, Chef Christina Tosi of milkbar.

Chef Christina Tosi at the evening Kellogg’s Recharge Bar in NYC

One of the treats served during the event were these decadent Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®-Chocolate Chip-Marshmallow Cookies that Chef Christina Tosi created for the Recharge Bar. They are to.die.for. I know because I just re-created them at home and I’m sad to say…24 hours later they are all gone.

This cookie recipe has Frosted Flakes that have first been baked, which almost caramelizes the cereal. Um…honestly, I could have eaten a bowl of just the baked Frosted Flakes! When incorporated into the cookies, it gives them a delicious caramel flavor.

5. on the same low speed, add the cooled, toasted frosted flakes®, mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips until the dough is evenly speckled with mixins, about 30 seconds.

6. drop or scoop the dough (about ¼ cup) onto a greased or lined baking tray, 3-4 inches apart from one another. pat down the cookie dough rounds with the palm of your hand.

7. bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until cookies have puffed, spread and browned around the edges. cool cookies completely on the baking tray before transferring to a plate or airtight container.

But you know what? While I love to whip up tasty sweet treats in my kitchen, I don’t always have the time or honestly…my waistline can’t take it. That’s why I love cereal. I have been enjoying cereal as an after-dinner treat for years! I love grabbing a small bowl of Kellogg’s Froot Loops or my new fave – Kellogg’s Krave, which I eat without milk – straight out of the bag. It’s really that good. It’s the perfect crunchy treat to have when watching a movie or when your sweet tooth attacks and you don’t want to blow your days calories on a bowl of ice cream or a dozen chocolate chip cookies lol!

Fun ways to incorporate the convenience and nutritional benefits of cereal beyond breakfast:

Serve Kellogg’s cereals such as Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, or Krave as a kid’s treat during slumber parties or children’s events. It’s easy, delicious, and sure to be a hit!

Enjoy cereal alone or with milk as a movie night treat!

Cereal is the perfect treat to reach for when the midnight munchies hit or you get a sweet tooth attack!

One of our favorite things to do as a family is spend time in the kitchen. I’ve been cooking with Lucas since he was very young (about 2 years old) and he loves it. I can honestly say that involving him in the kitchen has helped him to learn to appreciate good food, healthy eating, cooking from scratch, and has even been educational as it helps to reinforce math and reading (measuring ingredients, reading a recipe, etc). I plan on doing the same thing with little Amelia – in fact, she is already chomping at the bit to help in the kitchen! The key to cooking with kids is preparation – below are a few tips that have helped us.

Tips for Cooking with Kids

1. Be prepared. Set out all of the ingredients and utensils before your child enters the kitchen. If your child is younger, then pre-measure all of the ingredients that way he can help by pouring the ingredients into the bowl. One trick that I used as Lucas got older and really wanted to measure his own ingredients but wasn’t quite able to do it without a lot of help from me is that I would scoop out all of the flour (or whatever ingredient) the recipe called for and put it in a bowl. Then, I would have him “measure” the ingredient from that bowl into another bowl. That way if he didn’t fill the measuring cup enough or too much – I knew that he couldn’t mess up the recipe since the bowl he was measuring from had the right amount.

2. Make it educational! Start by involving them in picking the recipe you will both make, then have them read the recipe (or read it to them if they are too young to read) and practice math by measuring, counting the stirs, etc.

3. Give kids age-appropriate utensils like plastic and wooden spatulas and spoons. However, allow ores-school aged kids to cut. I know it’s scary, but this is the one thing they will really want to do and will make them feel good. What we did with Lucas is we allowed him to cut veggies and fruit using a butter knife. I’d pre-cut some things for him to make it easier and I’d give him softer things to cut (i.e. button mushrooms, bananas, berries, etc).

4. Be safe! Make sure to keep sharp knives away from kids, turn pot handles so they can’t be grabbed by tiny hands, offer kids a sturdy, balanced step stool, and teach your kids how to be safe in the kitchen.

5. Make it fun! Turn on some music, give kids a chef’s hat or their own personalized apron to wear. Most of all, it’s important that everyone have a good attitude. So be prepared for spills, flour on the floor, etc. That’s just part of it and it’s fun!

Just this week, we put our aprons on and whipped up one of our favorite kid-friendly recipes – Banana-Walnut Bread and both kiddos joined in. Well, Amelia mostly ate the bananas and stood next to her big brother looking awfully cute LOL. Lucas, on the other hand, pretty much did the rest with just a little help from me!

This is a wonderful recipe for kids because there are several steps that are just fun to do and easy for kids of all ages. The bananas have to be mashed.

Lucas mashing bananas in our personalized The Jolly Kitchen bowl from Personal Creations. See it HERE.

The nuts have to be crushed (we use a mortar and pestle now, but when Lucas was younger we would put them in a large zip-top bag and let him crush the nuts with a small rolling pin).

Directions

2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until creamed. Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla, mix well.

3. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir together. Stir into the butter mixture until just combined–you don’t want to over mix–it’s ok if there are a few lumps.

4. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy cooking! To check out any of the personalized kitchen gear above, please visit PersonalCreations.com. They have tons of personalized products for everyone in the family and they make the perfect gift for any occasion. LOVE, love, LOVE!

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Dawn. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

I’m so excited that it’s finally summer and Lucas is out of school! We have a long bucket list of fun summer activities we want to do together as a family this year. Not on my list? Cleaning! I’m sure that is not on your list either lol. However, it is a part of life so when I clean it’s nice when the experience can be as enjoyable as possible. That’s why it’s important to use products that really get the job done. We recently started using Dawn Destinations Dish Soap and it really works wonders on greasy kitchen messes (which are a lot in my kitchen!) plus it smells so good!

Dawn Destinations Scents:

Mediterranean Lavender

Thai Dragon Fruit

Fuji Cherry Blossom

Hawaiian Pineapple

New Zealand Springs

Caribbean Breeze

Another thing that I try to do is to find the joy in the everyday things. Yes – even cleaning. So when I am cleaning or doing the dishes, I try to make it a relaxing moment – sort of a “me” moment. I turn on some good music, open the windows, use aromatherapy by lighting a yummy candle or using a neck pillow – anything to create an escape. Dawn Destinations really helps with that due to the aromatherapy the different scents offer. I use Dawn Escapes Mediterranean Lavender and it really smells lovely. Lavender is one of my favorite scents. I swear – it instantly relaxes me and even helps soothe an aching headache. Dawn Escapes Mediterranean Lavender offers a little escape every time you do the dishes! LOVE that!

Thanks to Dawn, I received all of the materials needed to create my very own aromatherapy neck pillow and making it was so simple! Here’s how:

DIY Aromatherapy Neck Pillow

Materials:

1 tube sock

Needle & thread OR sewing machine

White rice (2-3 cups depending on the size of your sock)

10-15 drops Lavender oil (or your essential oil of preference)

Ribbon

Directions: Fill your tube sock with rice about 3/4 of the way full. Add the Lavender oil. Sew the sock opening shut. Attach cute ribbon to end of sock. Shake sock to evenly distribute Lavender throughout the rice. Sock can be used as is or microwave to use warm.

Whether it’s The Disney Channel, Disney HD, or Disney Junior – Disney has been a permanent staple in our lives and on our television throughout the years. When Lucas was younger, he LOVED Disney Junior. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Handy Manny were his favorites.

Now that he has a little sister, he has been enjoying watching some of his old favorites again PLUS a few new ones like Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins! He’s a good big brother! And, to be honest … he will always have a special place in his heart for Mickey Mouse.

Meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse for the first time in 2012

Seeing his buddy again in 2014

Amelia met Mickey Mouse at Disneyland this past year and they were best buds right off the bat!

Amelia meeting Mickey Mouse for the first time

As parents what we love about Disney Junior is that the shows are educational and age appropriate while still being fun and engaging for kids.

And, it allows us to take their beloved characters and create special memories. Whether it’s meeting one of the characters in person for the first time or simple moments at home made special with a special Disney-inspired craft, activity or yummy treat. Today, I wanted to share a simple, fun treat inspired by the beloved-by-all Mickey Mouse!

Mickey Mouse Layered Jello Cups

INGREDIENTS

2 (6-oz) box Cherry Jell-O

4 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

boiling water and cold water

clear cups

DIRECTIONS

Make the red layer: In a medium bowl, mix the red Jell-O with 1 envelope of the unflavored gelatin. Add 2 cups boiling water and stir to dissolve. Cool to room temperature and pour into clear cup. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until quite firm.

Make the white layer: In another bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water. In a separate small bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin over ½ cup cold water. Let stand for a few minutes and then add ½ cup boiling water to dissolve the gelatin. Add to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Cool to room temperature. Pour the white layer over the firmed-up red Jell-O layer. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until quite firm.

Glue two little white “buttons” to cup (I used white circle stickers). Hot glue black ribbon or bow on top of cup.

Disney Junior News!

WATCH Disney Junior is a free app that allows kids to watch full episodes, clips and games of their favorite Disney Junior shows on a tablet, phone or computer in either English or Spanish!

Watch full episodes of your favorite shows anytime, anywhere.

Watch what’s on Disney Junior LIVE!

Play new games featuring some of your favorite Disney Junior characters (exclusive to Android apps)

Listen to music on Radio Disney right in the app

Your Child’s Photo Could Be Featured On TV!

Submit a photo on the Disney Junior Familia photo app on the Disney Junior Facebook page. Your photo could be featured on TV!

I swear I thought things were going to slow down for summer, but no. We have been so incredibly busy since Lucas has been out of school on break. He was selected to be on the All-Star T-Ball Team, which is awesome of course! However, it’s also very time consuming. Not to mention that work has been pure chaos lately. Basically, we have been gogogo for weeks now. You know…the story of every mom’s life, right?! Amidst all of that chaos, we still have to hold it together. That means dinners on the table in the evening and breakfast in the morning, but I have to be honest it’s really difficult! That’s why I have to rely on simple, quick, and wholesome meals. For breakfast that means cereal + milk + fruit. It’s actually a great way to get in the benefits of whole grains (from the cereal), protein (from the milk), and all sorts of goodies from the fruit! One of our favorite things to do is to serve cereal in a jar.

Cereal is already very portable, but when you put it in a jar? It’s the ultimate to-go breakfast! Here’s what we do…

Did you know? A satisfying breakfast, complete with energizing grains to refuel and protein to rebuild is a winning combination.

I actually went ahead and calculated the nutritional information for two of our favorite combos (see below). As you can see, cereal and milk plus a few quick toppings like fruit and nuts can pack quite a powerful nutritional punch in the morning! Low calorie, low fat, high fiber and high protein = WINNING BREAKFAST!

Cereal is one of our go-to breakfasts on busy, weekday mornings. It’s easy. It’s quick. It’s yummy. And, if you make the right cereal choice – cereal is also a very healthy option when paired with fruit and milk.

A serving of Kellogg cereals and 1 cup of skim milk can provide protein and four nutrients most people don’t get enough of: fiber, calcium, Vitamin D and potassium.

But you don’t want to get into a breakfast rut! You know – the one where you are eating the same cereal day after day. One thing that we do to keep breakfast fun for Lucas (and for us) is to set up a cereal bar in the morning. It’s a great way to get kids involved in the breakfast process and they love being in control of the type of cereal, toppings, etc. It’s just a great way to start the day!

It’s also a really cute way to serve breakfast for kids during a sleepover – young kids, tweens, and teens will love it!

Cereal Bar Set Up Ideas:

Set out a few different cereal varieties. We like Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Mini-Wheats, and All-Bran. While delicious and healthy, they are also perfect for adding toppings.

Set out several cereal toppings such as:

Nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc)

Dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, etc)

Sliced bananas

Raspberries

Blueberries

Strawberries

Of course, you’ll need some cold milk! And, if it’s for a sleepover or party – I like to make it special and put everything into cute bowls and containers.